At The Heart
by Flaming Orange Rose
Summary: The Whitebeard crew is one huge family, but what's a family without a mother? Plus, why do you think Whitebeard adopted so many children? AU, Yaoi, CRACK pairing. EdwardIchigo
1. Chapter 1

Pairing: EdwardxIchigo, weird right? I know all that.

Universes: One Piece x Bleach

Summary: The Whitebeard crew is one huge family, but what's a family without a mother? Plus, why do you think Whitebeard adopted so many children?

Warnings: Yaoi, CRACK PAIRING (seriously …) character death (?), implied Mpreg.

A/N: You'll really have to bare with me on this one. Yes. I have slightly lost the plot of life and gained this one in return. Please, bare in mind that Whitebeard was not always the size he was before he died, i.e. 5 times the size of an average human. When he was known as Edward Newgate and never once had an interest in gold or treasure, he was actually comparable to the rest of his crew. He also had blonde hair, as seen when he was 52. The Whitebeard Ichigo meets is known as Edward Newgate, who's only dream was to have a family of his own.

* * *

At The Heart

* * *

You could often hear the entire Whitebeard crew refer to their Captain as Dad, Pops or Old man. In return he would call them his sons and daughters. It was a very simple thing that brought the entire crew together like a family. A huge dysfunctional family that loved to fight and drink and involve themselves in general rowdy pirate behaviour.

So when a member of the family's life was in danger, they all came together to save them. No matter who they were or how new they were, the entire crew would put their all in their rescue. After all, they were a family and families protect their own. This was very true, however, the circumstances this time around were very different.

Not only was the family member in danger, Portgas D. Ace, 2nd Commander but he was about to be executed in front of the entire World at Marine Headquarters. It meant war, which meant the involvement of a lot of allies. Something Whitebeard had a large number of. The political threat designed to bring Whitebeard out to battle was acknowledged with extreme discontent amongst all those that knew Whitebeard and Ace, especially those than knew of Ace's parentage.

Such was information that Ace never wanted it to be known even amongst his own crew mates. If anyone ever asked, Whitebeard was his father. No one else. His mother was Portgas D. Rouge, a most beautiful woman whom he gave his everlasting thanks to. Not only had she held him for 20 months, but he had also taken her name to disguise his sire's identity. He had long since rejected his sire, even preferring the insinuation that his father was Monkey D. Dragon, as the name implies Monkey D. Luffy's father. However, that would also imply he was related to Monkey D. Garp, which was a scary thought indeed.

Fate had not been on his side in a while, what with the murder of a subordinate by another crew member, Marshall D. Teach now known as Blackbeard, the search and failure to capture said man; which ended in his imprisonment in Impel Down.

He knelt on the high wooden platform with his hands shackled behind his back, staring before him in horror as the violence and blood blossomed out onto the icy platform that was formally the entrance of the Marine Headquarters. Not only did he see his crew mates, brothers, nakama falling to the swords and gunfire of the Marines, he caught sight of something that made his blood turn cold.

His father, his only father, stood directly before him on the figure of the Moby Dick in a stance Ace had never seen before. Whitebeard had only ever been strong, even whilst on life support surrounded by attractive nurses, he still managed to appear incredibly intimidating. It was just the way he held himself, so tall and unbending. Like an iron wall no one could ever hope to break down.

Ace wasn't the only one looking at the scene in sheer shock. The Marine Headquarters became silent, no one daring the blink lest they miss a single nanosecond of what they were seeing before them. If they thought Whitebeard was angry at the thought of Ace being possibly killed, it did not compare to this in anyway. It was very true that Whitebeard loved his crew like sons, and sometimes nakama were closer than most blood relatives, but this was far different.

The fact itself that Whitebeard was even lying on the deck of his ship without placing himself there was unbelievable in itself. The Strongest Man in the World was sprawled on the deck of his own ship because someone forced him there. Yes, your eyes do not deceive you – FORCED.

The reason was even more incredulous. While looking like he was about to shatter the Earth's surface, Whitebeard was glaring at the sight before him that only certain people could ever understand. It was ridiculous to anyone who hadn't known the man before he became Whitebeard; and even to those who knew him before then were beyond gob-smacked.

It was physically impossible, yet their eyes showed them no lies, if the outbreaks of confusion were anything to go by. The not so quiet whispers spread through both Marines and pirates alike; the key topic – Who the hell just saved Whitebeard from being stabbed through the chest?

Very few people outside of the Whitebeard Pirates knew. And those that did had known Whitebeard as Edward Newgate, an up-starting Rookie who had been clashing with the Pirate King and Marines for decades.

As usual, one of the most horrified was Sengoku. At the fact that his plan to tear the Pirate forces apart was foiled and by whom most of all.

Another whose voice box had been muted was Squardo, the only other to have a front row seat to the action that shook the world. He stood shell-shocked with his blade aimed at the spot Whitebeard's chest had been not even a second ago, blood trickling down the blade. The blade had missed its target, it had been a long shot to begin with, but this was something not even Whitebeard was expecting. The evidence was on the faces of all surrounding.

"Oi, you gonna pull this thing out or what? We're not going to save Ace when your sword is still run through my stomach." The clear speech was only proof that they were not seeing an illusion before them. "Oi, Squardo! Is this any way to treat your Mother?"

The surrounding fighters went from sock to sheer confusion. Mother? MOTHER? Whitebeard's reaction didn't help any either. He laughed.

"Oi, listen to your Mother! Lower him down now!"

MOTHER? HIM? What the hell was going on? The man – apparently – placed his hands on his slim waist and looked down the sword expectantly at Squardo. When his feet reached the deck he turned his gaze to Whitebeard.

"Don't just lie there Edward! Help get me off this thing – Holy Hell you've grown again!" Still laughing, Whitebeard finally got up on his haunches. "I am _so_ glad you find this so amusing, Edward! Here I am, making sure that you don't get yourself killed again and then I get run through the stomach saving your ass! Why the hell they call you the Strongest Man in the World I have no idea!"

All around the Plaza, Marines and Pirates alike were looking to each other for some form of explanation. On the main platform, Garp had started to laugh as soon as the punctured newcomer had opened his mouth. Memories of long ago brought back with a force. And he was sure that Sengoku was about to start frothing at the mouth in anger at how his plan had completely been ruined by someone they had all thought had been missing or dead for a long time.

He saw clearly how anyone would be very confused by the situation, the "Mother" and "him" comment especially. Long, flowing orange hair being flicked around by the wind, a very lithe, slim form that could be mistaken for a female's at a distance. Next to Whitebeard the man was incredibly effeminate. But Garp knew different, as did Sengoku.

As soon as the man was removed from his sword Squardo dropped the weapon like it was on fire. He watched as the man, who was smaller than himself, walk towards him with purpose. His eyes were shadowed by bright orange bangs, his hair reaching his lower back. Squardo was frozen to his spot, pinned there by fear and Whitebeard's unforgiving stare. He didn't know when the smaller man had gotten so close to him, but he certainly felt pain as he collided with the stone walls of the Plaza. Everyone else caught onto it when they heard the explosion of rubble on the edge of the Plaza.

But Whitebeard wasn't concerned with that right at that moment. His attention was focused solely on the man before him. He hadn't changed one bit since the day they met, from the heavy combat boots to his tight ass to his flaming orange spikes. Whitebeard knew that each and every strand was just as soft as it looked, having spent hours running his fingers through it. And that beneath those loose fitting black trousers were long legs that felt amazing when wrapped around his waist. Under the loose shirt and long black coat was a muscled chest and back that had always remained completely scar-free no matter how many times he was cut, sliced, stabbed and shot. Whitebeard had always marvelled at how quickly the smaller man seemed to heal without a trace. Though it always made him fall for his mysterious lover all the more.

"Hey, we both know you can never say good-bye for good. Why'd you think you could last time, Ichigo?"

Ichigo looked over his shoulder and up to the man he swore he wouldn't come back to again. No matter how many times he told himself that it would be better to leave and remain away, he always found himself saving the man who was always a split second from death. He hissed slightly as the wound finally closed up and turned to fully face the man he had met so long ago.

Ichigo remembered the days when they were relatively the same height, Edward still always managed to be the taller of them. Edward had always joked that he grew so big so he could reach Ichigo when he left again. He had always called Ichigo his 'Fallen Angel', knowing just how much it pissed Ichigo off. Their first meeting had been a complete accident and twist of fate that liked to come back and bite Ichigo on the ass …

–

_Edward merely laughed at his crew-mates confused expression and knocked back the rest of his pitcher. It was an oddly quiet night, by pirate standards that is. His crew had stopped to replenish supplies and loot what they could while they were still docked on the small island. Edward's lack of interest in gold and treasure had always been a confusing subject amongst his crew. He only ever said that he wanted a family and left them all to do whatever the hell they wanted with their time. As long as they came out on top and didn't get themselves killed he wasn't too bothered._

_He supposed that it was his own shoddy childhood that created his great ambition and desire to have a large family of his own. He stood from his place around the large bonfire and moved over to the coast line, stretching his arms out before him._

_A family of his own … and he would be there to protect them all and not let a single one slip through his –_

_There was a flash of orange and Edward felt a sudden weight in his out stretched arms. He sank down to one knee at the force and to balance himself, thoroughly confused by what happened._

_There, lying in his arms, was the most enchanting creature that he had ever laid eyes on. For once he managed to hold in his bellowing laughter to save disturbing the fallen … well._

_At first glance he was sure that the being in his arms was female, but a quick readjustment in his arms quickly eradicated that thought. Though the body in his arms was slim there was no way that that ass belonged to a woman._

_He rose to his full height, turning back towards the firelight, beauty in arms. His men gaped at him with confusion and humour. All they had seen was Edward sink to his knees in the distance and rise again a few minutes later. Some of the more enthusiastic members of the crew had risen to aid their captain, but those with a keener eye had held them back. There was nothing that their Captain couldn't handle._

_'Captain, who's the -'_

_'An Angel.'_

_For once, even the oldest members of the crew were taken aback by the statement. Edward Newgate had always been a strong, but weird Captain. This just took cake._

_'An Angel, Captain?'_

_'Ai ...'_

It was so cheesy it made him physically sick, just like when Edward talked to him affectionately. The man could have anyone in the world if he wanted, yet he still pined for him like a child did their mother. It was sickening.

Yet, he came back to him every time. He watched the bastard every day to make sure that he wasn't getting himself killed again. Ichigo often speculated that the bastard got into these situations just because he knew that his lover would reappear just like he promised he never would. If Ichigo was anything, it was stubborn. After all this time and the history between them he still didn't want to admit that Edward had a large hold over his very being.

They stood apart, Ichigo knowing that if they got closer he would fall into the same routine. The same pattern that swept him off his feet and straight into the delirious state of mind that Edward managed to send him into with a simple touch. Even now at 72 years old, Edward was still magnificent. The long blond hair was gone, and the white moustache still a prominent feature. His immense body built of solid muscles still filled Ichigo with awe and want.

Edward looked down to the fuming strawberry and watched the familiar expression flash across Ichigo's beautiful brown eyes. It always amazed him how Ichigo never seemed to age. No matter how long they spent apart, Ichigo remained almost exactly the same as when they first met. Long orange hair, constant scowl and brutally honest. Edward made a point of mentioning how cute he was, just to rile him up and make him blush. He knew just as well as Ichigo did that they would always return to each other, no matter how much Ichigo denied it.

Edward didn't want this situation to just be about them though. He was there to rescue his son Ace. The fact that Ichigo had fallen to him once again was an incredible bonus, one that was about to drive Sengoku insane. It the background he could even hear Garp's booming laughter at the comical event. There was only one person in the world that Edward welcomed a hit from and he stood before him, scowling at the possibility of falling for him all over again. He knew Ichigo better than he knew himself, knew exactly what was running through his head. So well that words were not needed any more. He simply held his hand out towards his lover and waited.

Ichigo's scowl wavered upon seeing the outstretched hand that was now bigger than his head, he mused. He thought back to when things like this weren't so awkward due to their vast difference in size. Ichigo knew, as he took the giant hand, that he was giving in to temptation once again. And he was going to love every second of it.

The slight annoyance that Edward could easily sweep him up and close to his enormous chest was overpowered by the want to be close to him again. The need and want to be held against his beating heart was overwhelming. As soon as had his hands on the sides of Edwards face he was safe again, all the worry and regret was simply washed away.

The crowds around them had long since faded away, so much so that they weren't even background noise any more. Another cheesy aspect to their relationship – it was like that first awkward love exchange all over again. Ichigo, scowling and unexpectedly coy, Edward forward and cocky. Oh, how extremely cocky he was.

For someone who had just realised that he didn't have an feelings for the slender gender – he argued that Ichigo was close enough to a woman any way: Ichigo had beaten him half to death while Edward had just laughed – he seemed very at ease coming on to Ichigo, With his aggressive kisses and lust-driven touches, in front of his entire crew and anyone else who just so happened to be around at the time.

Although he would instantly deny it, Ichigo loved every bit of the attention that he got. It was always moments like this where old sepia memories flooded to the front of his mind. Simpler times where they would run around being pirates for fun. This wasn't fun. Seeing all of Edward's crew falling around them. They were Edward's children; their children …

"Edward. As much as I would love this moment to last, we have to save Ace."

Edward frowned a bit. "Since when did you get so serious?"

"50 years of dealing with your stubborn ass will do that to a person."

Ichigo had always been the more mature one in their relationship, but he had always been just as rowdy and fun-loving. But then again, the situations they managed to get into were never as large scale as this one. Sure, they had opposed the Government plenty of times before but never an all-out war that had been brewing below the surface. Erupting with the single catalyst of Ace's capture. Ichigo's heart went out to his foster-son, having been there when he was born and when Edward had offered to be his father.

He had even given Ace his insight into life as a Whitebeard pirate, not long after Marco had. And that was another thing; Marco. The First Commander of the Whitebeard pirate fleet. In essence, he was the First Mate of the enormous family. His talent and strength gave him great respect among the others. The very talented older brother figure, who was so much like his parents it was unreal.

Edward reluctantly placed his little lover back down onto the ship, not without an affectionate tap to the behind that had Ichigo half-heartedly glaring up at him.

"So what's the plan, Captain? The usual gun-ho, let's fuck shit up approach?"

Edward merely laughed in his deep rumble, confirming Ichigo's thoughts exactly. He, along with the screw, would have to wait at the ready for the command to carry on trying to get to the platform.

* * *

Edited a bit so the story will run smoother.

FlamingOrangeRose -x


	2. Chapter 2

Pairing: EdwardxIchigo, weird right? I know that.

Universes: One Piece x Bleach

Summary: The Whitebeard crew is one huge family, but what's a family without a mother? Plus, why do you think Whitebeard _adopted _so many children?

Warnings: Yaoi, CRACK PAIRING (seriously …) character death, Mpreg.

A/N: You'll really have to bare with me on this one. Yes. I have slightly lost the plot of life and gained this one in return. Please, bare in mind that Whitebeard was not always the size he was before he died, i.e. 5 times the size of an average human. When he was known as Edward Newgate and never once had an interest in gold or treasure, he was actually comparable to the rest of his crew. He also had blonde hair, as seen when he was 52. The Whitebeard Ichigo meets is known as Edward Newgate, who's only dream was to have a family of his own.

At The Heart

"Well, Kurosaki, long time no see. We honestly thought you were dead."

Dark brown eyes opened to a glaring light and the shadow of a familiar figure above him. The same sandy hair covered by a ridiculous bucket hat and a fan covering his mouth. Urahara Kisuke was quite the oddity. Especially when he appeared out of the most unlikely places.

"What are you doing here, Kisuke?" In one sweeping motion, Kisuke snapped his fan closed and tilted the front of his hat back, revealing his glittering green eyes.

"I think, Kurosaki, the appropriate question is what are you doing _back here_?" Isshin sat up and looked around. Sure enough, he was sat on the beach of Wano Country, close to the South Port. He could see the people going about their daily business as usual, every so often sparing the two men a glance of curiosity.

"Where is she, Kisuke? Where is Masaki?" Kisuke sat down next to him on the beach.

"If you are talking about the charming young lady who brought you back here, she had to leave shortly after making sure you were alive. Rest assured, you were in very capable hands and Masaki-san's secret is safe with me."

Isshin knew that he could trust Kisuke with his life, so the rather bizarre situation he found himself in little over two years ago would not become the latest gossip of the tearooms around the country. As the son of a much liked and very skilled samurai, Isshin was expected to achieve a lot in his life. His mother, a quick-witted and beautiful woman, was always at the heart of the community. Tending to the sick and frail with great patience and kindness.

But even though his parents were treasures to their village, Isshin had always known that his destiny lay beyond the village, country, island. He had wanted to see beyond the horizon. He had always wanted to find her, his other half. He had known that she was out there, waiting for him to come gallantly to her rescue.

Of course, nothing ever really goes to plan.

_3 Years Earlier …_

"So your really going then?" His best friend Kisuke added from his perch on a 22 year old Isshin's desk. His shaggy blonde hair was unkempt as usual, with a slight hint of stubble on his face. Kisuke's rugged look had always managed to catch the eyes of the village girls, but Isshin wasn't worried. His love lay not in Wano Country, but he would find her.

"Of course, Kisuke. I've waited for a chance like this since I was 15." He placed a few items in the small sack he would be taking on the journey. He knew to travel light, but with the essentials. "Besides," He turned back to Kisuke, "there is only so much dodging of expectations that a father like mine can take. You are so lucky sometimes."

"What? That I don't have a set of parents who love me so much that they can't express it? Yeah, sure." Kisuke chuckled, drawing out his fan from one of his sleeves. "Where exactly are the crew going?"

"All over, I think," Isshin's eyes lit up, "But I definitely heard something about Sabaody Archipelago. That's on the other side of the Red Line!"

Kisuke looked surprised, "Really? The Grand Line? Most Rookies don't even make it through there, and it's supposed to be much tamer than out here."

Wano Country is situated in 'The New World'. Only the strongest of pirates ever make it over the Red Line, which separated the World. Beyond it lay The Grand Line, where the Rookie pirates would take their best shot at piracy before getting killed or captured by the Marines.

As Wano Country was a land of samurai, most respected the sword skills of the pirates. However, they heavily disagreed with their destructive nature that terrorized the innocent. Isshin had seen many crews dock on their shore, only to be sent backwards with their tails between their legs. Only the pirates looking for adventure and not looking for a fight were permitted to stay long enough to spar with the locals.

In fact, having the pirates in the Country was tremendous practice for the students of the dojos. Being able to fight against different fightings styles always improved their own. Isshin, was considered quite advanced for his age and status, Kisuke was the same.

"Well, I'll be able to tell you when I get back with my future wife." Kisuke shook his head as he led the way out of Isshin's home, through the crowded streets to the docks. Many people along the way stopped them to wish Isshin good luck and safe voyage. A number of young ladies brought small parting gifts from their families. Isshin accepted them with good grace and a smile.

When they reached the ship, Kisuke looked into the distant horizon thoughtfully. "You know, considering we've been best friends since forever, you've have never been able to answer one question of mine."

"And what's that?" Isshin asked with a puzzled scratch to his head.

"What it stands for, the D in your name." Isshin shrugged, having never been told himself. "Kurosaki D. Isshin. It's just that no one else in the town has it except your family."

"Hey, I've said it before, even my father said that his father's father's father didn't know either. It's hereditary, like my charm and good looks."

Kisuke hid his smile behind his ever present fan. "Try and find out, that's the only souvenir I want."

"Who says I was going to get you anything?" Isshin joked.

"Oi, Kurosaki! We're leaving, get your arse on the boat!" Isshin waved to the man to signal he had heard. Having already said good bye to his parents, Kisuke was the last person to say fare well to.

"Guess this is good bye for now, huh?"

"Sure looks like it." Kisuke replied airily.

"Make sure my parents don't go berserk without me there,"

"Are you kidding? I'm the son they always wanted!" Kisuke teased. They shook hands before Isshin ran to jump on the ship that would lead him to his destiny.

Kisuke watched fondly, noting the crowd that was gathering around him. He briefly caught sight of Isshin's parents. His mother with a happy smile and tears in her eyes, his father stood tall, both very much proud of their son. The villagers called out to Isshin, even after he disappeared from their sights.

–

Isshin had known that it would not be five star accommodation being aboard the mercenary ship, but rough living was a serious understatement. As he was a guest, more commonly known as a carry-on by the crew, of the ship he didn't really fit in with their way of life.

Sure he had been camping with Kisuke a few times over the years, and had even 'borrowed' a boat to go sailing round the island, but that was for fun. Living the 'dream' was not as tale-worthy as he thought it would have been. For one thing, living on a boat meant you couldn't go for a walk away from everybody when you needed time to breathe. It also meant that you had to do your bit as part of the team, and while Isshin had absolutely no problem with manual labour, becoming the crew's pack mule when it came to unloading the cargo was not his idea of an adventure.

Still, there was one thing that kept his mind focused and his spirit strong was the thought of his dream girl. Every time he thought of meeting his perfect damsel his heart rate sped up. She would always be at the front of his mind and every day he knew he was getting closer to her.

After months of travelling the islands of The New World, they were finally approaching the Red Line. Isshin had become great friends with all on the ship and had proved his worth as a swordsman when pirates attacked the ship. They came in their hundreds, but were no match for mercenaries and samurai of The New World. He was well respected and word had travelled of his strength and bravery aboard the ship.

He had even been approached by the Marines a few times. They tried to recruit him as an officer, but he declined. The idea of fighting for justice was a noble cause, but he knew he couldn't settle into that life style until the most important piece of the puzzle was found.

The day they arrived at the Marine Headquarters was wet and positively miserable. The waves and storm as they sailed up to the port were so horrific the ship almost capsized. Isshin was immensely glad to be back on land, even if it was wet.

Even though he had been a part of the crew and well trusted, Isshin had never been on the planning and organisation side of things He had utmost faith in the men and women aboard the ship and knew that they would tell him if there was a problem, so he proceeded inside the city of Marejoa ahead of the rest.

Little did he know, that once he was out of sight, the Marines descended on the crew; fully armed and without mercy.

–

Waking up tied to a ship's mast having no idea how you got there, or who the hell is surrounding you is not the ideal way to wake up. Kurosaki D. Isshin could tell you this, because he knows from experience. And what made the situation worse was that they were being attacked by a giant squid. Not giant as in rather large, giant at in Island proportions.

Luckily, in the chaos Isshin's bonds were cut free by some random man. No one seemed to have noticed that his bonds had been cut, and he wasn't about to let them catch on. Isshin had always been a strong swimmer so he knew that he could easily get away. However, a distinct gut feeling was telling him that that would be the worst decision he could make.

Judging by the squid they were very deep underwater, which seemed impossible but he'd deal with that later. Also, he had no idea which part of the ocean he was in, it was very probable that he would die instantly if he left the ship. Which, now that he looked, was in some sort of gigantic bubble.

The ship shook violently, throwing the crew all over the ship. Isshin took a deep breath to prepare for the inevitable breaking of the bubble, if not the whole ship. Instantaneously, the pressure from the water and the squid combined sent the entire crew rocketing through the water like human firework.

He knew it was impossible, but Isshin could swear that he saw sunlight above him. It was totally illogical and …

...

...

… was that a mermaid?


	3. Chapter 3

Pairing: EdwardxIchigo, weird right? I know that.

Universes: One Piece x Bleach

Summary: The Whitebeard crew is one huge family, but what's a family without a mother? Plus, why do you think Whitebeard _adopted_so many children?

Warnings: Yaoi, CRACK PAIRING (seriously …) character death, Mpreg.

A/N: You'll really have to bear with me on this one. Yes. I have slightly lost the plot of life and gained this one in return. Please, bear in mind that Whitebeard was not always the size he was before he died, i.e. 5 times the size of an average human. When he was known as Edward Newgate and never once had an interest in gold or treasure, he was actually comparable to the rest of his crew. He also had blonde hair, as seen when he was 52. The Whitebeard Ichigo meets is known as Edward Newgate, who's only dream was to have a family of his own.

And before anyone says it, I know towards the end of the chapter is a bit of a weird one to grasp, but please read on. It will make sense at the end! I promise!

* * *

At The Heart

* * *

Meeting Masaki had been his dream come true. Subsequently, the main goal of his journey. He had found the one. And now he could spend the rest of his life with her. Or so he thought. He was aware of the prejudice against the merfolk and fishmen. You had to go a long way to find someone who didn't. The people of Fishman Island were just as afraid of humans as the humans were of them.

Neither party had ever lived amongst the other for an extended time before. Isshin was hard pressed to convince the people that he meant them no harm. Even the act of saving Masaki from a group of slave traders after mermaids to sell at the auction houses on land, left a few people with doubts. They didn't want one of their Royal Princess' to come into any danger. And to them, being anywhere near Isshin counted as more than enough danger than they could take.

It took him years to try and convince the merfolk that he was trustworthy and that his love for Masaki was pure and true. He was finally getting somewhere and disaster struck.

A wave of Government dogs swept through the Island, out for the blood of any human that dared associate with those beneath them. Masaki feared that word of a human being in love with a Mermaid Princess had reached the surface and the human government were out to kill Isshin. She knew that it was risky, but she had to get Isshin to safety.

She truly believed that Isshin was the strongest man she had ever met and loved him with all her heart. But she knew that the pressure of the water would surely kill him should she try to swim him to safety.

Isshin grasped her hands in his, looking her straight in the eye and she knew that no matter what, Isshin would never leave her. That he would not let himself die until he knew that she was safe and happy once more.

They fled. Isshin was encased in a bubble that was threatening to break from the get go. He quickly fell unconscious, but Masaki would not give up hope. She called to the fish to guide her to her love's home Island, persevering until she broke the surface next to the small port of Wado Country. Dragging Isshin as far up the nearby beach as she could, she was shocked when a human approached her so readily and without her noticing.

"My, my, what do we have here?"

The stranger was standing with the sun directly behind his head, casting his entire body in shadow. The stranger had the most peculiar shaped head she had ever seen – this coming from a mermaid. It was like a cabbage in an upside down bucket. She threw herself over Isshin's body to protect him, still unsure of his condition.

The stranger stepped closer, removing what Masaki now saw to be a hat revealing a rather handsome man. He was quite scruffy, but in a rugged charming way.

"Not need to worry, Miss. Kurosaki-san is an old friend of mine. Though how he met such a lovely mermaid as you is quite the mystery."

His kind face showed wisdom beyond his years. A knowing smile on his face. Masaki was unsure of his intentions, but she had no choice when Isshin's life could hang in the balance.

"Please help Isshin. We've travelled so far to get here. He lost consciousness not long after leaving my Island, but the bubble preserving his air did not break. Can you help him?"

"Well, Miss." Urahara stated more seriously, "Why don't you tell me about how you came to know Kurosaki-san in more detail while I treat him. Your secrets are safe with me."

It wasn't until a year later did Isshin see Masaki again, only this time she wasn't alone…

…

Kisuke considered himself a patient man, but even he was at his wits end with the way Isshin was acting.

The man threw himself through fits of anger, worry and sadness on a half-hourly basis. For an entire year.

Kisuke had had to restrain his friend on numerous occasions when he had a half-thought up plan to return to Fishman Island to mind Masaki. The villagers all thought he was slightly mental. Prattling on to himself about his "Princess" and how much he missed her and wanted to kill all those who stood between them.

As Kisuke was the only eye witness to the striking beauty that was Masaki, Isshin repeatedly tried to pull him into any discussions about his possible madness. They had heard strange tales of men going out to see and coming back claiming they had seen all sorts of wild things and babbling to themselves about how they had met a Princess they were going to marry as soon as they met again.

Even Isshin's parents, who had initially thought it was funny taking their son's eccentric personality into account, were starting to worry for their son's well-being. They called upon Kisuke to try and talk some sense into Isshin. Convince him that there was no princess and that he must have been imagining things.

Kisuke longed to defend his friend's behaviour, but doing so would put not only Isshin but Masaki-san in danger. He did explain to Isshin's parents that he did believe that Isshin had, in fact, met the woman of his dreams. Isshin was many things, but he was not a liar.

Everyone in their village could believe that Isshin had met a beauty, for the sea was vast and he had travelled far, and Isshin was quite the attractive man. But when he started talking about her being a mermaid, they freaked out. There was still the old prejudices about merfolk and fishmen about, along with the belief that they didn't even exist. That they were fairy tale/mythical/legendary creatures that sailors fantasized about on a long lonely trip out at sea.

However, Kisuke had seen the truth with his own eyes that they did exist. He just wished that Masaki-san would return to the Island soon, _or there wouldn't be an Isshin to return to._

Dark thoughts aside … Kisuke meandered to where Isshin spent the majority of his days now, the beach where Masaki left him to Kisuke. In some ways, Kisuke could understand his friend's pining. Masaki-san had had to leave before they could say good bye to each other, and they had no way to stay in contact either.

Isshin was sat, as usual, in the exact spot he woke up on a year ago. He was staring out on to the horizon with and almost mournful air. Kisuke didn't bother to alert Isshin to his presence, the man would hardly notice him anyway. He sat down beside his long-time friend to survey the sun's reflection on the rippling sea.

"Did I dream her up, Kisuke?"

Kisuke was surprised. Through all his mumbling, Isshin had never sounded pessimistic, or like he was forcing himself to believe in what he was saying.

"Baka." Isshin's head snapped up to see Kisuke smiling at him mischievously. "I saw Masaki-san with my own two eyes. You calling me a liar?"

Isshin's frown morphed into a wide smile. "Of course not. She's my Princess, the woman I am going to spend the rest of my life with." Isshin looked up at the sky wistfully. "I wonder what would have happened if I went up instead of down."

"Interesting. Mermaid vs. Angel. I heard they exit you know."

"What?"

"People in the sky. They're about 10, 000 metres above our heads, waiting for us to catch them if they fall."

They laughed about the possibilities of people falling from the sky until the sun started to set, casting a wonderful palette of colour across the sky and sea.

Isshin, who was lying back on the sand with his head resting on his crossed arms, was ready to turn in for the day. He could only do so much waiting in one day before his heart began to break a little.

Every time he closed his eyes, he could see her standing before him. A gentle smile on her beautiful face, her arms open wide, her soft voice calling out to him.

_Isshin …_

_Isshin …_

"Isshin!"

Isshin shot up and hit Kisuke in the jaw.

"What was that for?" Kisuke wailed, clutching his cheek.

"For interrupting my vision of Masaki. She was calling out to me." Smoothing a hand over his hair. "But it must have been you calling me instead."

"Uh … Isshin."

"What now?"

"No one has spoken for the last 5 minutes."

"You must have said something, I knew someone was calling -" _Isshin!_

_Isshin!_

"Uh, are you okay?"

"Shut up! I can still hear it."

_Isshin! Isshin! Isshin!_

"Isshin!"

…

…

…

"Isshin!"

Out on the horizon, an achingly familiar silhouette was making its way towards them. Isshin didn't think, just ran out into the surf to meet her. The One. His Masaki. He picked her up and twirled her around, a long flowing skirt covering her magnificent tail.

"Masaki, my Masaki."

Isshin was so happy he was bawling into Masaki's chest as they fell onto the sand bed. Masaki sighed lovingly, holding on just as tight. She had waited for far too long to be held in these arms again. She knew that it had been for the best at the time, but that didn't make staying apart any easier. Though there was one thing that kept her world the right way up.

"Isshin, I have a surprise. Close your eyes."

"But Masaki," Isshin lifted his head from her chest, tears bubbling in his eye, "I just got you back; I don't want to take my eyes off you ever again."

"Fine, you sill silly human," She sighed affectionately. Turning back to the ocean she called out. "Bring her up."

At first there was silence and then the surface of the sea started bubbling and frothing. A school of fish were making their way towards the shore at breakneck speed, towing along a Moses basket in a bubble. Isshin and Kisuke ran to meet it as it drifted ashore.

Kisuke stood there with his fan covering a shocked expression. Isshin took one look in the basket and fainted.

Only to suddenly revive himself and run at Masaki again. Spinning her with even more vigour than before. Carrying her over to the basket so they could both gaze down at their little baby girl.

Bright orange hair, big brown eyes and the cutest little silver and chrome striped tail. She also had a pink t-shirt with a strawberry on it.

"Isshin, this is Ichigo. Ichigo, this is Daddy."

"Ichigo, huh?" Kisuke leaned over the happy parents' heads at the most amazing thing he had ever seen.

"Ichigo, this is Uncle Kisuke. He's scruffy and not even a fraction as cool as your Daddy." Isshin boasted proudly, smiling when Ichigo's arms reached up to him in excitement. Gurgling at the new faces in front of her.

"Want to hold her?" Masaki asked, not taken aback at all when Isshin squeezed her in happiness. Masaki reached into the basket to pick up the squirming mermaid.

Isshin couldn't believe his eyes when he saw his beloved holding their child. It was his newest dream come true. Masaki passed his daughter into his arms and he froze. Afraid that the slightest wrong movement would harm his precious little girl. His heart simply melting when a tiny hand reached up to pat his chin. Ichigo squealed with delight at the strange feel.

"Sorry to break up the family moment, but you think it's a good idea to move it off the beach?"

Isshin scowled at Kisuke slightly, but knew he was speaking sense. Placing Ichigo back in the basket as carefully as he could. He stood, sweeping and arm under Masaki's tail to lift her up and lifting the basket in the other arm. He stopped Kisuke's suggestion with a glare.

"This is my family; I'll carry them to the ends of the world if I have to." Kisuke backed down when he knew that Isshin could never be more serious if he tried. It seemed that the realisation that he had a family to protect now had made Isshin grow up in a matter of minutes. Masaki leaned her head against Isshin's strong shoulder, wrapping one arm around his neck for support and then other wrapping a yawning Ichigo up into her blanket. She looked up to Isshin's face which was face forward with a strong expression. She knew that she and Ichigo were going to be safe from now on.

Needless to say, when Isshin arrived at his family home – despite suggestions that the family should go to Kisuke's – with a beautiful woman on one arm and a baby basket in the other, his family was shocked. There was stunned silence from Isshin's parents.

His father was first to break the stalemate. "Well bring them in, Isshin. You can't leave a lady and a baby out in the cold." His mother looked at his father like he was insane.

Yes, the woman was blindingly beautiful, and the baby was adorable, but she seemed to be the only one taken aback that her daughter in law and grandchild had a fish tail.

"Hush, woman. Isshin is his own man now. He will take care of his family no matter what."

Masaki bowed at her waist, "My name is Masaki, and our daughter is called Ichigo. We are thankful that you have let us into your home."

Isshin's mother seemed to perk up after the shock had worn off. Holding her granddaughter and laughing with Masaki over how cute she was.

Isshin's father took Isshin aside and had his son explain how he managed to meet and fall in love with a mermaid. He nodded proudly when Isshin told him the story of how he saved Masaki from poachers and, by doing so, won her father's favour. When Isshin explained that Masaki was part of the Royal Family, even a man as dignified as Isshin's father, yelled in disbelief.

His mother was as equally shocked when her husband repeated the information. Before things got out of hand, Kisuke suggested that the family remain quiet about Masaki's background until they could think up what they should do.

The couple had to think about where they were going to live. With the prejudices facing Masaki and Ichigo, and their inability to move around on their own Wado Country did not appear to be an option. They could live on Fishman Island until Masaki was 30 and then could walk on land. But even that left Ichigo still unable to live on land. They could stay on Fishman Island permanently; Isshin had already proved that he was loyal and devoted to Masaki. Ichigo could grow up amongst the Merfolk, occasionally visiting Wado Country to see her grandparents.

Somehow, none of these options seemed like the right choice.

There was also the possibility that Marines could come after Isshin once again, putting Masaki and Ichigo in danger.

Isshin looked down at the little girl in his arms thoughtfully. She was going to become quite the beauty. Stealing all the boys hearts, _before he pummelled them into the bottom of the sea for even thinking about going anywhere near his daughter!_

While Isshin fantasized about the many ways he was going to scare the living hell out of any possible suitors, Kisuke guided him towards his room, Ichigo still in his arms. Isshin's parents followed behind, supporting Masaki on the way to Isshin's room. With Isshin and Masaki lain down on he futon with little Ichigo between them, Kisuke bid his farewells to the new family and Isshin's parents. He left to ponder what he had seen that night, and how nice it would be to have a family of his own.

Meanwhile, in Isshin's room they were just settling down to sleep when Isshin noticed something.

"Masaki?"

"Yes, Isshin."

"You said that Ichigo was a mer_maid_, right? As in female."

"Isshin, what are you -?"

The resounding yells from the pair of them had Isshin's parents running to their son's room in a panic.

"What's going on? Has something happened … to … Ichigo?" Their voices trailed off as they locked on to what the commotion was about.

Where a silver and chrome striped tail should have been was a pair of baby legs and something else that was _definitely not female._

"I_chigo's a boy?_"

…

* * *

I did say that it would be explained, sort of. But that's the next chapter!

FlamingOrangeRose -x


	4. Chapter 4

Pairing: EdwardxIchigo, weird right? I know that.

Universes: One Piece x Bleach

Summary: The Whitebeard crew is one huge family, but what's a family without a mother? Plus, why do you think Whitebeard adopted so many children?

Warnings: Yaoi, CRACK PAIRING (seriously …) character death, Mpreg.

A/N: You'll really have to bear with me on this one. Yes. I have slightly lost the plot of life and gained this one in return. Please, bear in mind that Whitebeard was not always the size he was before he died, i.e. 5 times the size of an average human. When he was known as Edward Newgate and never once had an interest in gold or treasure, he was actually comparable to the rest of his crew. He also had blonde hair, as seen when he was 52. The Whitebeard Ichigo meets is known as Edward Newgate, who's only dream was to have a family of his own.

Apparently, this best time to get inspiration is when you really should be doing something else, though my new Bleach calendar and the 3rd Data book "Unmasked" are probably not helping. Except the Pirate Ichigo picture towards the back. He he he...

Note: Regardless of whether he is human male or mermaid, Ichigo will almost always refer to himself as he/use male pronouns. Even if others refer to him as she/her/use female pronouns. This will be explained in this chapter, so you'll have to forgive how my mind works.

* * *

At The Heart

* * *

_Time skip _

_15 years_

…

If there was a better experience than swimming underneath the surface of the sea as a wave is breaking, then Ichigo hadn't found it yet.

Though this was quite tame, and Ichigo was always out for action and adventure. Breaking the surface slightly, he scanned around for any sight of his persistent overprotective shadows. Seeing that they were thoroughly distracted – thank you, Renji – he began to swim towards the Calm Belt that cut off the New World from the other seas.

He knew all the stories about how the Calm Belt was just a Sea Kings nesting ground and that nothing good could ever come of going there. But he just wanted to see the ships that could pass through it without the Sea Kings noticing.

He had grown up amongst the beasts and had always managed to get away unharmed. But the ships were huge, some bordering the size of a small Sea King. It just didn't seem possible.

His entire life was a series of moving from one world to the next. A few months in Wano Country with his Father and Grandparents, then a few months 10,000 meters below Sea Level in Fishman Island with his Mother and her extended family. He had gotten used to the set up quite quickly. Not only was it really fun and interesting to have two such significant backgrounds, he also knew that he had to move around a lot to learn how to protect himself on land and under the sea.

Ichigo knew he was a weird one. Something not seen every day. He was half human and half merfolk. Quite literally. On land he was your average, good looking talented male, but throw him in some sea water and he was a stunning Zebra fish Mermaid. Yes you did in fact read that correctly.

Mer_maid._ Not merman.

Since he had always been this way, he didn't really see a problem with it. In his eyes, he got the best of both worlds. Not only did he come from a long line of fierce samurais, he was also was part of the Royal Family of Fishman Island. Being able to swim for as far as he wanted for as long as he wanted without ever worrying about running out of breath was the greatest.

It also meant he was under constant threat of being abducted by gangs to sell in the Auction Houses to the highest bidder. It was very hard to catch mermaids, so they went for extremely high prices. They were sold off as trophies to the rich and "noble".

The mere thought made his blood boil. It was this side of humanity which had his merfolk side hiss with disgust. Especially know that he knew what had happened to his dear Mother.

When he was only 9 years old, he had been living with his Mother in the palace. Everything was as normal. No one had seen it coming.

A notorious gang of poachers swept through the Island unforgivingly. Masaki had managed to hide Ichigo back in his room before she was snatched away. Never to be seen again.

Ichigo had heard horror stories from the Fishmen Pirates about how Mermaids of a certain age were treated. In this case, as soon as they turned 30 and their tails split they were no longer considered as "valuable" as they once were and were either sold off or killed.

Ichigo feared the worst. It had already been 7 years since that day and he knew he was kidding himself to still believe that she was still alive. This was a subject never to bring up in front of his Father though. The man still had hope. Searching around the Grand Line for any sight of her. None was to be found.

That was when his overprotectiveness went to the extreme. Despite the fact that he knew that Ichigo was half male and could damn well take care of himself, he still watched over him like a hawk when Ichigo said he was going for a swim.

Ichigo never mentioned how he heard his father talking to Uncle Kisuke –Shadow No.2 – about how much Ichigo reminded him of Masaki. How he cried that his little girl was growing up to quickly for him to take. The man insisted on referring to Ichigo as his little "Berry-tan". Which rightfully received a punch or kick to the face.

Ichigo knew he meant well, but it was stifling. That's why he bribed his good friend Renji into distracting them enough for Ichigo to swim far enough away that they couldn't do anything.

He was going to the Calm Belt, and that was that.

On the surface, the Calm Belt appears okay, but go a few meters under water and you could see that it is anything but. Thousands of writhing Sea Kings were twisting around one another. Fighting for space and food. Keeping a safe enough distance away that they wouldn't notice him, Ichigo rose to the surface to spot exactly what he had been looking for.

A Marine Battleship. Stocked full with Marine soldiers, cannons and other such weapons. Ichigo was in tremendous awe. He had never seen one this close before!

While admiring the structure of the boat, he caught sight of a small glint in the sky. This was quickly becoming much larger … and heading directly for him. He turned tail and swam as fast as he could away from what just expanded into a giant net. Fear drowned him as the strings of the heavy black net cover all his exit routes, before reeling him back in like some common fish.

His heart was in his tail fin as he slowly rose from the sea up the side of the Battleship. A menagerie of ugly faces pressed up against every available porthole and deck to catch a glimpse of him. He prayed that this was a real Marine ship, not a poacher or pirate crew using the Marine ship as a cover. Even more so that there weren't any nobles aboard the ship. Ichigo did his absolute best to try and push down the panic that was bubbling in his chest.

Which reminded him …

While he was in mermaid form, he just so happened to have a most ample chest and curves, which you could bet anything he was going to use against these weak-minded sailors. Though he had never really seen the appeal of them, he saw the looks he got off men. He wasn't expecting anyone to understand it either. Growing up female and male really gave you a different perspective on relationships and people in general, be they merfolk, fishmen or human. His normal was abnormal. Even to his parents and friends. But that was just Ichigo.

"I've never seen a mermaid this close before!"

"It's a dream come true!"

"Will the Vice Admiral let us keep her?"

"She's beautiful!"

Ichigo smiled and waved at them a little, his wink making them drop like flies.

"Vice Admiral! All the men on the lower decks have collapsed! Some with heavy blood loss!"

He pouted when he finally reached the deck, showing he was unhappy but not threatening. The crew watched him with anticipation, surveying him in a way that wasn't just determining whether he was a threat or not.

A man in his mid-twenties approached the net straight away, ignoring orders from his superior. Ichigo was very taken aback from the aura of power that surrounded him. He was so young, yet his strength was far greater than the "Vice Admiral" on board. Ichigo couldn't pin point it, but there was something familiar about this man, though he was certain they had never met before.

Ichigo would have remembered this strange feeling of kinship. Just by locking eyes, it was as if the feeling was mirrored in the man's mischievous orbs.

"Garp, what the hell do you think you are doing!

Suddenly, Garp fell against the net and started to snore. Ichigo blinked a few times before he saw one of Garp's hands holding a knife to the net.

_This man was … helping him?_

Another one of the crew came up and hit Garp "awake", pulling him backwards. The net still held, with enough force it would rip like wet paper. Ichigo kept still to avoid a premature break, waiting for the opportune time.

The Vice Admiral approached the net, clearing his throat before saying.

"Far away from home aren't you, mermaid?"

Ichigo raised an eyebrow quizzically before noticing the slightest blush across the bridge of the Vice Admiral's nose.

"Oh no, sir. I live right here."

"Here? As in -?"

"The Calm Belt, yes."

Ichigo laughed in his head at the sight of all the horrified expressions on their faces. Well he was already here. He might as well have some fun with the Marines while he could. If he was lucky may get some information on the poacher gang that kidnapped his mother.

In the crowd of indistinguishable Marines, Garp stood with a knowing look in his eye and a huge smile on his face.

While the Marines were all thoroughly distracted, Ichigo ripped the net and vaulted himself up onto the edge of the ship, his tail swishing back and forth. With one last smile and wink towards Garp, Ichigo used his powerful tail to flip backwards into the sea. Laughing on his way down, Ichigo didn't realise until the last moment that a Sea King was swimming directly beneath him. One splash on the surface of the water would be enough to alert it to his presence.

Bracing himself, he quickly got ready to swim away as quickly as his tail could take him.

Instantaneously, the Sea King lunged for the underside of the boat, bypassing Ichigo entirely. The Marine ship tilted violently at the hit. Yells of panic filled the air as the crew scrambled for something to hold on to. When the ship rocked towards his direction, Ichigo watched the Sea King rise to hit the battleship again. Several sailors went flying over the side. Some holding various lengths of rope, other holding on to their fellow sailors.

Instinct made Ichigo follow the path of one soldier into the sea behind him. He dived under after him, somehow knowing it was Garp. Whether on purpose or not, Ichigo felt obliged to return the favour for help him to escape. Sure enough, Garp was slowly sinking on his back with a huge grin on his face. Ichigo swam over to him with an equally silly grin. Ichigo pulled him to the surface and began to join the ridiculous man in loud choruses of laughter, even while the Sea King continued to attack the Marine ship.

"Well you know who I am, Monkey D. Garp. You are?"

_D? So others had it as well._

"My name is Kurosaki D. Ichigo; it's a pleasure to meet you, Monkey-san."

Garp scratched at his head. "So you're a D as well. Never met another person outside of my family with it before. HAHAHAHAHA!"

"Me neither, Monkey-san?"

"Call me Garp."

"Then call me Ichigo."

It felt like they talked for hours about one thing or another. When the crew had finally killed the Sea King and started hauling the men back onto the ship, the sun had started to set.

"I guess this is good bye, Garp."

"Ah, I suppose. Think we'll meet again?"

"I sure hope so."

Garp was surprised by the honest gleam in Ichigo's eyes. He would be lying if he said he didn't find her attractive. She was a beautiful girl, and a mermaid to boot! He watched her swim away for as long as he could before the crew threatened to leave him behind.

He had purposefully "fallen" overboard just to see her again, talk to her if he could. What he had found was someone he knew was going to be a part of his life, whether romantically inclined or not. He swam back to the ship and try as he might, he could not keep the smile off of his face.

* * *

What would a romance be without foreshadowing of future angstiness and rivalry at some point? He he he ...

FlamingOrangeRose -x


	5. Chapter 5

Pairing: EdwardxIchigo, weird right? I know that.

Universes: One Piece x Bleach

Summary: The Whitebeard crew is one huge family, but what's a family without a mother? Plus, why do you think Whitebeard adopted so many children?

Warnings: Yaoi, CRACK PAIRING (seriously …) character death, Mpreg, more time skips.

Also, I've taken liberty with the time line of One Piece quite a bit. To put things into perspective, when Brook was 23, Ichigo was born. Whitebeard was 7. I've moved Shakky's retirement from piracy back a bit as well. As well as Bartholomew Kuma's timeline.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Bleach.

* * *

At The Heart

* * *

Ichigo was starting to realise why Garp had seemed so familiar to him. Not only did he have the mysterious D, he also had a lot of the same personality traits as his father. Which was more than a little disturbing. Said man was currently wailing while keeping a boa constrictor grasp around Ichigo's waist.

"Masaki forgive me! I let our darling daughter slip away from me and put herself in danger!"

Ichigo just sighed and hoped that there wasn't anyone walking by their house. More than a few stares followed him around after his father's out bursts. He knew that his father meant well. It still didn't change the fact that it pissed him off to no end.

"Dad, I'm fine. I'm not hurt and I'm not a girl." Ichigo sighed, exasperated.

"But you will always be my little angel, Ichigo. Daddy doesn't want sick minded perverts thinking they can take advantage of you because daddy isn't there to ward them awa~y!"

He stood there waiting for his father to cry himself out before walking straight over to his Uncle Kisuke's house. If Isshin was normal he probably would shout about Ichigo going out so soon after he had been yelled at about the same thing. The keyword being "if".

He heard the argument going on in his Uncle's before he even saw the house. Kisuke's parents had died a long time ago, he had lived there on his own for most of his life. Ichigo didn't know how the small house was supposed to accommodate the growing band of misfits that Kisuke had pulled together over the years. He seemed to like taking in anyone who needed it.

He walked straight into the house without knocking and went straight through to the back garden. The closest in age to Ichigo in the house was Renji, so they became best friends. Renji was a very strong swordsman and dreamed of getting to the top of the Marines. Ichigo loved how he had such determination and was certain that he was going to get there. Speaking of Marines …

"Oi, what the hell's with that dopey expression?"

Ichigo snapped out of his little reminiscence at his friend's call. Renji was sat on the grass tending to his sword. His long red hair held up in a ponytail, looking like a red pineapple. He was in his usual shirtless state with blue hakama tied loosely around his hips. He had probably just come back from the nearest dojo.

Ichigo shrugged at Renji's question and sat down next to him, reclining onto his friend's shoulder.

"Oi." Renji protested lightly. "How'd it go? Please tell me it was worth two hours of your old man wailing at me like you were dead."

"It was amazing, Renji. Thanks for putting up with my dad."

"So, what did you get up to?"

Ichigo told Renji all about it, while his friend added his comments and questions.

"– And then he sticks out his hand with a knife –"

Renji pushed Ichigo onto his back and started searching him for wounds, tickling Ichigo in the process.

"Oi, oi. I'm not hurt, Renji. He was cutting the net."

Renji kneeled back on his haunches, "He helped you escape?"

"Yeah. And then I jumped overboard after telling the Vice Admiral I lived in the Calm Belt."

"Hm. May be I should stop helping you go off on your adventures, Ichi. No wonder your old man is insane."

Ichigo frowned, pouting a little. "Hey, I can take care of myself. I didn't even get a scratch when the Sea King hit the battleship."

"EEEH? That's it. I'm definitely not helping you anymore!" He turned around to start tending his katana again, his back to Ichigo. Annoyed at his friend's outburst, Ichigo slid over in front of Renji, staring him right in the face.

"But, Renji! I even helped a guy that was drowning. Oh! And the amazing thing was that he is a D!"

Renji raised an eyebrow as if to say 'And this matters because?'

"It's just I've never known someone other than my family to have it. It's important, Renji, I know it."

Renji relented his annoyance. "Ah. It drives Kisuke crazy as well. I hear him muttering about it sometimes."

"Muttering about what, Renji?"

Ichigo laughed when Renji turned as bright red as his hair when Kisuke popped up beside him. Through gritted teeth, Renji bit out, "Ichi said he met someone else with the D thing."

Ichigo hit Renji upside the head. "It's not a thing, it's my name dumbass." Turning to Kisuke, he said. "His name is Monkey D. Garp. He's a marine."

"Oh? Interesting. And where did you happen to meet this marine, Ichigo-chan?"

Ichigo spluttered to find an answer, as he knew the real one would cause his father to pop up out of nowhere and start crying on him again.

"The Calm Belt."

"Renji, you bastard!"

After a week of his dad being practically stuck to his hip, Ichigo had to leave. It may sound drastic, but he was only hanging around because of his dad. It wasn't a proper reason to stay. Even though he was a fully grown man, Ichigo still wondered how his dad was ever able to get all the way to Fishman Island without killing himself in the process.

He hated to admit it, but he was worried about the old coot. Not long after his mother was taken, both of his grandparents died within a week of each other. If he left as well …

"Beli for your thoughts?"

His dad came to sit with him on the beach by their house. Isshin had built it himself on a still cove so that he and his mother had cover whenever they came in to shore. Ichigo would soon dry off and be running around on the sand while his parents watched him gleefully.

"I know why you're still sticking around. I'm no reason to stay here, Ichigo."

"Are you going to be okay though, dad?"

Isshin was quiet for a moment before breaking into a cheesy pose. "Of course, my beautiful son! Daddy will be A OK!"

_So much for a serious moment then …_

"I'm going this week then. I just haven't decided if I should swim or go by boat. Y'know, like you did."

Ichigo knew he had gone over mushy by the sight of his father's ridiculous face trying to hold back tears of whatever crazy emotion was going on in his head.

"Masaki! Our beautiful son wishes to follow in his father's footsteps. Daddy is so proud."

"Okay, moment over. I'll go by boat, try to scrounge up some info if possible. Obviously I'll swim to Fishman Island. I have to say goodbye to the guys as well." Ichigo was talking to himself as he walked back into the house, ignoring his father's lunacy as he called to the moon in despair over something Ichigo really did not care about. Ichigo just hoped that crazy didn't come with age in his family.

_Time skip_

_3 months later_

…

It was almost sad to think that that one moment with his dad had been the best thing to happen to him in three months. How the hell did his old man come out of this trip alive? And why in Kami's name did he go by ship? It would have been so much quicker and easier to swim to Sabaody. He almost kissed the ground when he first jumped up to the grove.

His father had told him all the tales from his adventures in the New World and it had been fun to go to each of those places 20 years later to see how they had changed. He even met with some of the people Isshin had made friends with along the way, listening to their stories of how his father acted when he was on the island and what adventures they got into together.

This worked the same for some of the enemies he had made. They were not so pleasant to meet.

He had found out a few things on his journey that he found quite awesome. As a Zebra fish Mermaid, Ichigo had regeneration abilities. He first noticed small things like cuts and scrapes when he was younger healed very quickly. As he had grown up, the ability got better and better. On one island he had gotten shot in his thigh muscle. He was amazed to see the bullet slide back out of the wound and watched at his skin stitched itself back together again. Since that one time, he had been completely immune to bullet wound, knife stabs. He even had the pinkie finger of his left hand cut off only to watch the bone, muscle, nerves and flesh regrow from his knuckle, it hurt like hell every time, but not as much as the actual wound in the first place.

Another thing he had found out was that his gender changing wasn't just limited to when he went in and out of sea water. On several occasions he found himself running from various people because they thought he was some kind of criminal. Whenever he was cornered, he wished that he could be in his female form and poof! There stood a completely innocent looking young woman who couldn't possibly be guilty of anything.

It worked the other way as well, one minute they were chasing after a pretty girl, and then next they were walking past a scowling teenage boy. It also worked in his mer-form, but the results weren't as good. Mermen were significantly less attractive than their female counterparts and, without blowing his own bugle, Ichigo looked good as either sex. An attractive merman? It wasn't going to fly. Well, at least to those who had actually seen a merman before.

Or, Ichigo cringed; collectors will have thought they had struck the jackpot finding the only pretty merman alive. Again he wasn't trying to brag or insult his merman friends, they were very handsome. It's just the way things were.

As he had practiced, the time it took to change got a lot shorter. He had got it down so that the change was almost instantaneous. Changing from a mermaid – because they're faster – to male, he pulled some clothes from his backpack to change into making sure his beacon orange was covered by the hood of his cloak. He shouldered his backpack and set to finding some info about the various gangs based in Sabaody. First, to lunch!

It seemed that his was just going round in circles. He had been to practically every grove that there was and there were still no clues as to where those bastards were hiding out. Thinking about how long it had been since he had last eaten, which was a common thoughts for the males in his family as they all had immensely large appetites.

He spotted a bar at the top of a hill. Shakky's Rip-off Bar? Well the name wasn't the friendliest but he was too hungry to care. He dodged as a hulking lump of a man went flying past him, thrown presumably by the woman standing in front of him.

"Bad customer, huh?" He said, scratching the back of his head.

"Sure was. Come on in." Ichigo hated to admit it, but it was more the will of his stomach than his mind. He didn't even glance back at the disaster site that would be at the bottom of the hill.

Ichigo took a seat by the bar and set down his things. Shakky sauntered behind the bar, "So what can I get you?"

"Any food and a lot of it, please."

Shakky showed him to a table by the window and proceeded to bring out some things. She watched as he devoured plate after plate of whatever she put in front of him. "So you have a name?"

Ichigo swallowed his current mouthful, "Ah, it's Kurosaki D. Ichigo."

"D, huh?"

"Yeah, it's been passed down in my family. Forgive me but I can't give a reason as to why or what it means. I have no idea."

Shakky walked around the bar to sit in the seat opposite him. "Is there anything else mysterious about you, Ichigo-kun?"

Ichigo looked up from his plate with a raised eyebrow, "Mysterious?"

"Yes, mysterious. Like where are you from?"

"Oh, I have two homes. One in Wano country and the other is hard to explain."

Shakky lit another cigarette, "I assure you that I can keep up, Ichigo-kun."

He wasn't really sure why he was telling this stranger his whole life story. It felt oddly comforting to lay all his problems out to someone who he hadn't known all his life.

"So you are a half mer-person out to save his mother who was kidnapped and sold to nobility. You sure are a strange one, Ichigo-kun."

"I can't save her." Ichigo said mournfully, his head facing his lap.

Shakky frowned. "Why is that, Ichigo-kun?"

"Because my mother is almost certainly already dead. There wouldn't be anything to save."

"How can you be so certain?"

"Even though the Auction Houses still sell mermaid who are over the age of 30, it's mostly for sport. That's why the prices are so much lower than younger mermaids. My mother was 29 when she was taken."

"I'm sorry, Ichigo-kun."

Ichigo set his knife and fork down. "It's no problem, Shakky-san. Thank you for the food. How much do I owe you?"

Shakky waved her and in dismissal, "You already have enough problems, I won't let debt become a part of that."

Ichigo thanked her a thousand times over, before Shakky pointed him in the direction of where she had heard rumours the kidnapper group had a base. Thanking her again he set off waving to her.

She remained stood in the doorway of her bar until he had left her sight.

Little did she know how important the half merperson was going to become in the future, though sure had an inkling.

Ichigo did dare to wonder how he got himself into situations like this. He had found the hideout quite easily after asking around for whereabouts of a mermaid dealer. He promptly killed the entire gang without so much as blinking an eye. Revelling in the blood spilt in their pathetic base camp. It was what he had been looking forward to for 7 years and finally got to taste their worthless human blood.

Word had spread quickly about their demise. Apparently he hadn't killed all of them enough, leaving a little rat to run for the nearest group of bounty hunters.

With his bright orange hair and blood stained clothes he really was an easy target to sight. Cursing himself for being far too careless, he ran as fast as he could towards the nearest grove on the outside of Sabaody.

In his anger at himself, he didn't realise that a few were sneaking up at him from the water. Their jumping out from under the surface drenching him in sea water. He couldn't control the change. He crumpled as his tail couldn't keep him upright.

He was surrounded by filthy human men who had one thing on their mind. Money. He could see them salivating as they calculated how much they could get for a young mermaid who could apparently change forms. Fortunately, enough of them were in shock for Ichigo to change his tail into legs and scamper away.

They caught on quick, Ichigo running as fast as his legs could carry him. He managed to make it to another grove, but there was a man standing in his way of the edge. Ichigo pleaded like his life depended on it that this man wasn't a bounty hunter as well. A quick assessment of the guy was quite odd. A hulking man who stood well over 6 feet tall, dark curly hair and was carrying a Bible. Ichigo must have hit his head somewhere today that was causing him to do crazy things that he wouldn't normally.

"Please, sir. Please help me!" He called out, begging with any God that the man would.

The man looked up from his Bible and said, "If you were to go on a trip … where would you like to go."

"South, where it is safe." Ichigo answered without thinking. The last thing he remembered seeing was the mob of bounty hunters heading towards him with their weapons at the ready. In a flash they were gone, and all he saw was black.

* * *

Oh ... South, eh? Wonder what he's gonna find there ...

FlamingOrangeRose -x


	6. Chapter 6

Pairing: EdwardxIchigo, weird right? I know that.

Universes: One Piece x Bleach

Summary: The Whitebeard crew is one huge family, but what's a family without a mother? Plus, why do you think Whitebeard adopted so many children?

Warnings: Yaoi, CRACK PAIRING (seriously …) character death, Mpreg, more time skips.

Finally Whitebeard is on the scene!

**Song for this chapter and the relationship in general – LaserLight by Jessie J and David Guetta**

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Bleach.

* * *

At The Heart

Chapter 6

* * *

You know those times when you just know you're going to regret opening your eyes? That the thing you see first is going to pan out the rest of your day, if not your life. How it's just going to get worse with each waking minute. You can tell these days apart in an instant when you can feel about 30 pairs of eyes on you as you sleep.

The ground beneath him was warm and shifted easily as he moved his body subtly. Sand? Well he certainly wasn't in Sabaody anymore. Nor did he appear to be a captive of some sort. That he knew of anyway.

He moved all of his limbs checking for any aches and pains, surprised to find none at all. Even his regeneration abilities had some limitations, depending on the seriousness of the injury of course. They were stiff from not moving of course but perfectly functional. He could also feel the fabric of his clothes on his legs and shoulders, but not on his chest. Possibly worrying, but he definitely couldn't feel the semi-familiar weight of his female chest. So he was in his male human form.

It was quite warm and the sunlight was quite sporadic. So he was either on a spring island in summer or a summer island in spring. He could tell he was either under the cover of trees or the 30 sets of eyes on him were taking it in turns staring at him avidly.

He braced himself for whatever horror that was about to be unveiling, when he felt the uncomfortable feeling of someone's breath approaching his face.

His eyes snapped open, light blinding him for a second as he scrambled away from whatever was hovering over him, into a boulder of sorts. Not really having the energy even to bounce back, Ichigo leant against the surface, enjoying the unexpected smoothness and warmth.

Then laughter started up, shaking Ichigo's entire body as the smooth, warm, muscled boulder reverberated beneath him. The ground under his feet disappeared as he was pulled around what he now saw to be one of the biggest men, not of official giant status, he had ever seen. His own arm looked like a twig in the giant's hand. He was brought face to face with _him_.

It was one of those moments where Ichigo would absolutely deny that his female half had completely taken over his mind. His mind going into overdrive at the fact that the world was starting to slip away around him, no, around _them_. Just staring into the other's eyes like that was their entire world. He stopped laughing; he dropped whatever was in his other hand, cupping the back of Ichigo's head, moving his other hand to entwine their fingers. Ichigo couldn't do anything, he just stood there listening to their heartbeats and trying for the life of him to figure out what it was. What had him stuck there?

The man was good looking, sure. He had a strong jaw, full lips, chiselled cheek bones and brow. But it was his eyes that Ichigo couldn't understand. He would bet that this man was thinking the same thing about his. It was almost as if they had been looking at the world with a film over their eyes, muting things like colours and light. And by looking into each other's eyes that film was ripped away, revealing such clairvoyance it was hard to turn away. As if the film would reappear and mute the world once more.

What was that look? And what was with the hand on his head. Wasn't that something that lovers did? Wait … this guy didn't think he was … right?

Ichigo soon recovered from the … whatever just happened. But the guy in front of him still seemed to be there. Ichigo was picking up on the voices around them, some laughing, some concerned that the man hadn't snapped back into reality. Glancing around slowly, he saw that they were all looking at him in something to akin to awe. Like they had never seen someone like him before.

Which was understandable if they were looking at his hair, 'cause you'd be hard pushed to find anyone outside the Grand Line with his hair colour. Which did bring his attention to the fact that he didn't have a clue where he was and that he was surrounded by men who could possibly slaughter him if he didn't do as they said.

"Captain! Oi, Captain!"

This got all the men staring directly at the man who still held his hand captive, who also was still staring at Ichigo like he had told him the meaning of life. It was really starting to unnerve him.

"Oi, Angel! What spell you got our Captain under, eh?"

_Angel? _Were they talking to him? It seemed his expression said as much.

"We'll you're the one that fell from the sky right into Captain Newgate's arms. Why don't you start explaining yourself, eh, Angel?"

_Fell from the sky? _Ichigo knew he should have never opened his eyes. These … people were a bunch of crackpots! People don't fall from the sky. What Hell had he just woken up to?

"Uh … gentlemen?" _That sure caught their attention, if the dumbfounded expression on their faces had anything to say. _"I have … no idea what you are talking about."

And then there was silence. The man-mountain called "Captain Newgate" had still yet to remove his hands from Ichigo's person and looked like he had no intention to.

To save himself from the awkward situation, Ichigo tried to find out where he was. "So, uh … I was wondering if you could tell me where we are right now. I have somewhere I need to be."

It took all his willpower not to wince as the grip on his hand increased exponentially.

"You're not going anywhere."

…

…

…

And Ichigo almost collapsed from weak knees. The Captain's voice was impossibly sexy. How are the crew not being affected by it? Ichigo knew that he had always been attracted to men in all of his forms, but this was so unfair! No man was allowed to control his limbs like this. And just with his voice! He didn't even say anything remotely swoon worthy. In fact it was rather disturbing. But seeing as the man-mountain had a strong grip on his hand and head, Ichigo wasn't going to chance being rude.

"Excuse me, sir?"

"You heard me. I can't let you go."

_So unfair …_

"I don't mean to be rude," Ichigo tried again, "But why might that be? We don't know each other – "

"We can get to know each other. You're never leaving my side." He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. And this was starting to sound far too primitive for Ichigo's liking.

"I am very sorry, but I need to go home. I can't stay here."

"That's good. I have to meet your father anyway. Where is your home island?"

Okay … this was seriously starting to piss Ichigo off.

"No. I have to leave alone and get home alone. Why would I tell a stranger where I live?"

Ichigo was yanked forward by their joined hands to stand even closer to the man-mountain's chest, the hand on his head bringing their faces closer together.

"We're going to be together. It's the 'done' thing." Said as if that solves anything.

"Listen here, asshole. I've tried being polite but you're seriously starting to piss me off. Let me go."

The man-mountain still stared him like there was no way he would ever win the argument. Unfortunately, for him, Ichigo was never one to back down from a fight. Much to the horror of his father.

"I warned you." Ichigo used the Captain's strong grip on his hand against him, bringing his legs up and slammed them straight into the man-mountain's chest. Catching him off guard enough that he lost his strong grip on Ichigo's hand and flew back a few feet.

By now the crew were so confused; their jaws were practically on the floor. Now free from the Captain's clutches, Ichigo straightened up and pinned the man-mountain with his fiercest glare. No matter how big and how ugly they were, no Fishman dared mess with Ichigo when he glared at them like this. In comparison, these humans were child-like in strength.

"Don't you dare order me around like you own me! I've dealt with far stronger and far uglier assholes than you; all after the same thing! I am Kurosaki D. Ichigo and no other being is ever going to own me. So do yourself a favour and find someone else to be your bitch, 'cause it's never going to be me!"

Ichigo then walked away with his head held high. Grabbing up his things from the pile of possession just off from the campsite. It was only his samurai teaching that had him pause long enough to say, "I will however thank you for helping me." He looked over his shoulder at the men surrounding the Captain. "You have done a very kind deed for someone you didn't know, and could have easily killed or taken advantage of." He then turned and looked directly at the Captain. "I'm sorry that I can't return the feelings you may harbour for me. I hope that if we ever meet again we could be friends, Captain Edward Newgate."

The crew were silent as they watched the feisty angel walk away without another word. They had never seen their captain act so serious when it came to another person before. He usual laughed after every sentence, no matter how serious the situation was. Somehow they all knew that their days aboard the ship with Captain Newgate were going to be different from now on.

One thing was for certain; Kurosaki D. Ichigo was one hell of an enigma.

* * *

Ichigo couldn't help but shake away the notion that he should turn around and go with the crew. It was absolutely ridiculous! He blamed his overactive female side for this. It heard one sort of caveman-like confession and it had him all confused! It's not even like he wanted to let alone _could_ talk about this to anyone.

The only people in the world would be Renji – though he would be seriously ridiculed afterwards – and some of the guys on Fishman Island – who would possibly go mental and threaten to kill the one confusing him for ever going near Ichigo in the first place.

So not the guys on Fishman Island then.

That would be a disastrous conversation. He was friendly with the mermaids as well, but most were too giggly for sense and deathly afraid of humans.

With his one confession partner probably on the other side of the World Ichigo had to just push them aside for now and find out where the hell he was. Luckily the pirates weren't far from a town. Palm trees lined a dirt path towards the own when he first houses started to crop up. They were more modern in comparison to his home in Wano Country. White washed walls and red tiled roofs. Flowers beds full of flowers you would find in the spring of summer islands, but something told him that this island didn't have its own magnetic field.

He saw a few ships in the harbour and the bustle of people on the docks. It looked like a market day. His stomach lurched violently when the smell of food reminded him he hadn't eaten in a while.

Wait … how long ago was his last meal? Sure he ate a lot in Shakky's bar, but he was a D. They had huge appetites constantly. Walking past a very tempting meat stand to where a boy was handing out newspapers, Ichigo flipped him a beli and took a paper. Yelling in shock when he realised that he had missed 3 days with no idea how he got to … _South Blue? _

"Hey kid, uh, this is going to sound strange but, what sea is this island in?"

Sure enough the kid looked at him like he had sprouted and extra head. "South Blue, mister. Did you hit your head?"

Ichigo nodded dumbly. "I must have. Thanks kid." He flipped him another coin.

The kid waved after him even though he was still quite confused.

Ichigo, meanwhile, walked into the nearest restaurant to quell 3 days' worth of hunger in one sitting. The people were already starting to like him, even if he was a strange one. The barman kept bringing him plate after plate of food that disappeared soon after it was set on the counter.

The barkeep sighed in exhaustion as Ichigo leaned back in his seat, searching through his hidden pocket for his "meal funds". A must have for all Kurosaki men, according to his father. It was a fairly small bag full of Beli, but the entire feast barely scraped the pile of coins within. After payment the questions began.

"You must have gone quite a while without food, huh?"

"Yeah, 3 days I think." Ichigo said casually, ignoring the looks he was getting from the other customers who had become spectators after his first day of missed meals.

"How did you manage that?"

"I think I must have been asleep. And to think I woke up in South Blue surrounded by pirates!" As the questions went on, their jaws dropped further and further to the ground. He made sure to avoid answering anything really personal, giving vague answers that they just seemed to accept.

The children had approached him after their parents had decided that he wasn't a complete nut job.

"Mister, mister! Have you ever been to the Grand Line?" One tiny child asked. By the hushed silence in the room, Ichigo could tell that everyone wanted to know the answer to the question.

He cleared his throat before smiling at the kids surrounding him, "Yes. In fact I live there normally, on an island called Wano Country. Home of the samurai."

There was a collective "ooohhh" that was drawing in more people from the outside to see what the fuss was about. In the end the crowd had forced some of his stories out of him, but he was still mindful to exclude anything about his mother and his female/mermaid side.

He was in the middle of a story about how he had to run away from island natives because they thought he was a pirate when there was a scream outside. Ichigo was the first one outside and quickly went into action against some men who were pushing a girl around. He flew into the one holding her feet first, pushing off him and roundhouse kicking the rest of them in one sweep. They fell like pins; completely unconscious. The girl was cowering in the middle of them, scared to open her eyes.

"Hey, it's okay now. Their out." Ichigo offered his hand to her with a smile. She raised her head slowly, eyes full of tears and nose starting to run. She leapt forward into his arms and bawled her eyes out into his chest.

Ichigo imagined that this is what it might be like to have a little sister. She did look a lot like his mother, surprisingly, however impossible that might be. Her strawberry blonde hair falling in gentle waves. Soft beneath his hands as he soothed her.

There was a lot of chatter around them as Marines started to appear to collect the bodies of the men, who turned out to be a group of bandits. The girl in his arms didn't let go of his coat, drenching his bare torso in tears. She didn't give an inch even when the Marines handed Ichigo the reward money for the leader, roughly 500,000 Beli. Which was small change in comparison to some of the ones he had seen in the Grand Line.

Someone shouted as they pushed their way through the crowd. "Rouge! Rouge! Where are you Rouge?"

The girl in his arms swivelled around to see who Ichigo could only guess was Rouge's mother. They looked almost identical save for the older woman's light blonde hair. Rouge finally let go of Ichigo's coat to run into her mother's arms.

"Mama, Mama, Mama!"

"Rouge, are you okay? What happened?"

"This man saved me from some men, Mama. I was so scared!" Rouge rested her head against her mother's shoulder while he woman thanked Ichigo profusely.

"Where are you staying, sir?"

"Well, nowhere. I woke up on this Island this morning so didn't really have any plans made –"

"You must stay with us, I insist." Ichigo was about to protest, but Rouge turned to him with eyes that he knew he couldn't say no to. He followed he pair up to their house on the hill, being stopped every step of the way to be thanked and congratulated by the villagers.

May be today wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

New chapter! Not sure about ending though.

FlamingOrangeRose-x


	7. Chapter 7

Pairing: EdwardxIchigo, weird right? I know that.

Universes: One Piece x Bleach

Summary: The Whitebeard crew is one huge family, but what's a family without a mother? Plus, why do you think Whitebeard adopted so many children?

Warnings: Yaoi, CRACK PAIRING (seriously …) character death, Mpreg, more time skips.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Bleach.

* * *

At The Heart

Chapter Seven

* * *

Ichigo, not for the first time, decided he hated pirates. And told them so at absolutely every given chance.

Rouge's mother just so happened to have one of the best views on the island. Not only was there panoramic ocean views but, because of its position on the hill, you could also see the town and the bay that Ichigo had fallen to. It frustrated him how often, when sitting out here with Rouge and her mother, his eyes would stray to that bay. There were signs that the pirates were still there and every so often Ichigo would see _him_ standing on the beach in front of a strange pattern in the sand. Ichigo couldn't quite make out what it was, but _he_ seemed to look at it quite a lot.

_Not that Ichigo actually cared._

The villagers were still heralding him as a hero and every so often asked him to help them out with other things, like building or to teaching them a few fighting moves. He stuck to simple self-defence, simply stating that he was not allowed to teach anyone outside of Wano Country the ways of the samurai. Which was in fact true, but the other reason he kept close to his chest. Quite literally in fact.

He was often asked that if he was a samurai … where was his sword? That was one question that Ichigo would never answer to anyone. It was an inheritance from his father's family that not even the women knew of. The Kurosaki D men passed down the divine secret to their skills of the samurai and their swords to no one outside their family.

It had been another quite uneventful day ending quite expectantly. He had been minding his own business, just sitting outside the house with Rouge when the man-mountain and his crew had crept up the hill. Apart from completely ruining the scenery, Ichigo wasn't that bothered by them, but poor Rouge was still scared after the ordeal with the bandits.

Ichigo was prepared to fight all the bastards there to the death and beyond to protect Rouge and her mother. He stood slowly as they approached, signalled for Rouge to go into the house with her mother and slid into the first stance, ready to draw his sword.

Edward moved to stand directly across from him, casting a large shadow on the ground between them. It hadn't been more than two weeks since they had spoken, and as Edward had never gone into the town they had no chances of crossing paths. Ichigo had no idea what the pirate wanted, which wasn't strictly true but Ichigo chose to ignore what was going on in the man-mountain's head. However, he was sure he was about to find out.

"Ichigo?"

"… uh. Yeah?" Ichigo was put off slightly by the almost, dare he say it, shy greeting. The rest of the crew had stopped a fair way back, keeping out of the eye of the village in case things turned nasty. Marines were still docked in the town and it looked like the pirates were in a hurry for something. They kept looking around and going over supplies lists. Disregarding that for the moment, Ichigo kept his attention on their captain, who still hadn't replied. It actual gave Ichigo a good chance to look at Edward. He was in such a rush to get away from him the last time that he hadn't taken anything in past the fact that he was huge and had yellow eyes.

He had long blond hair and with a black bandana tied on top. Glancing down he was wearing an open sleeveless brown vest and light grey trousers tucked into gigantic black leather boots. The open vest shifted slightly in the light breeze, baring all of his highly defined chest and abdominal muscles. Ichigo was finding it incredibly distracting, even if most of the man was shrouded in shadow from the sun. He could see the fine lines of faded scars, nothing too treacherous, scattered across the plains of muscle.

It was a few minutes before he spoke again. "We're leaving tomorrow."

Ichigo waited for a follow up but knew he probably wasn't going to get one. "… okay. What of it?" He refused to let his guard down, there was no knowing what these pirates were up to.

Edward was still looking at him oddly. Ichigo couldn't really describe it. Quite intense, but may be not in a harmful way. As if he was trying to decipher something. Trying to figure out what he was thinking possibly.

"No use, I can't read you." _… May be he's easier to figure out that I thought._ "I figured it wasn't right to force you to come with us. So I'm asking. Come with us."

… _That was asking? _Ichigo thought, not entirely surprised.

He was like a child. Sort of knowing what he did wrong, but not understand how to correct himself. And thus coming off like an asshole. Which was not appreciated in the slightest by Ichigo. It took him two weeks and that was the best he could come up with.

"That didn't sound like asking, moron. I still haven't heard a valid reason why I should risk my life for you?"

"Because you owe me."

…

…

… _dammit! The one thing that he couldn't refuse. His ancestors would turn in their graves if Ichigo tried to deny it. Plus, it would go against all he stood for. Crafty bastard._

Edward could see the inner battle going on inside his angel's head as he scowled something furious. As soon as he heard that his angel was a samurai, he knew how to get him. Samurai's would rather die than lose honour. It was low but, hell, he was a pirate after all. He would use any means to get what he wanted.

"Dammit, alright. But I am not becoming a pirate. For saving my life I will help you get to the Grand Line. Then my debt will be repaid." Ichigo's scowl deepened. "I'm going to say farewell to these kind people, then I will go with you."

Edward said nothing, simply watched Ichigo turn around and walk to the small house. In the dying sunlight, Ichigo glowed. Literally. Even though, by pure coincidence of course, his eyes were drawn to the tight rear of his trousers by the pure white cloth tied around them, he had to appreciate the view Ichigo made from behind. He had been staring at his angel's sleeping face for about 2 days, and as lovely as sight it was, he never got to see the backside. He wouldn't count when Ichigo left their camp as his view was obstructed by trees.

The rather distracting, swaying image Ichigo's hips made, even as he tried to hide it with anger, didn't detract Edward's entire attention. Though slim, his angel was still built like a fighter. Strong shoulders, arms and thighs. Defined torso muscles, not from fighting though. Training may be, but it looked like he had swum from one end of the ocean to the other. His chest was covered today with a loose fitting black shirt, rolled up at his elbows; enticing trousers covered his legs and those black boots again.

Ever since the film had been ripped from his eyes he felt like he was the only one who could truly appreciate the colour of his angel's hair. Now, Edward wasn't one to go into mushy shit like that, so he wasn't going to. End of story. But it was beautiful. And longer than he had thought. Even tied back it was way past Ichigo's shoulders.

Edward chuckled when Ichigo slammed the door to the house behind him without looking back. He turned to his crew and shouted at them, "What are you still standing around for? Get to the ship, we're leaving!"

It was met with a chorus of hurrahs and the like. Many went as far to yell "Thank Kami for that! He would have been miserable otherwise!" The older members of the crew, and those closer to Edward started slapping them upside the head and shoving them back down the hill to where the ship was docked. They raised a hand to Edward and followed after the rowdy lot, knowing that their Captain was going to march the samurai-angel all the way down to the ship just to make sure the boy wouldn't go back on his word. Even though everyone, especially Edward knew that that wouldn't happen. Which meant that everyone, including Edward, knew why he was doing it.

They had never seen their Captain like this before. He had obviously never been interested in treasure. They had all just assumed he was a pirate for the romance of the adventure, not the romance of, well, romance. And they never thought it would be for a man. Regardless of how pretty he could look at certain angles, Ichigo was one hundred percent male. They had all seen his chest and the way he walk and talked. But then again, Whitebeard was their captain. As long as he was a strong fearless leader, they could not care less who he brought to his bed.

Not a few moments later Ichigo reappeared with two females following him. The older of the two handed Ichigo a large wrapped bundle with a motherly smile, the younger hastily wiping away tears with one hand and clinging onto his angel with the other. Ichigo bowed to them in thanks before turning towards Edward with a deep scowl on his face. Walking away from the women quickly as the girl began to cry louder.

"Ichi-nii! Come back soon, Ichi-nii!"

Ichigo raised a hand of farewell to Rouge, glancing back with a small smile for her, frown instantly appearing when he turned back. With utmost disdain he brushed past Edward with a small muttered, "Let's get moving then, bastard."

Ichigo really did hate pirates.

* * *

A/N: Wow that was a long time. But a very enthusiastic and lovely review gave me the much needed kick up the arse, so thanks for that!

FlamingOrangeRose-x


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